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Text Twilight winced as she flapped her wings wildly… and then crashed headlong into a tree with a curse, to the loud laughter of Scrivener Blooms and Luna as leaves flew in every direction. A moment later, a branch cracked, and Twilight fell out of the tree to land with a loud thud at the base of it, which only made the two laugh louder as Celestia shot them a flat look before she looked ahead and called encouragingly: "Keep your head up, Twilight Sparkle… use your body as well as your wings for movement! Balance and finesse are far more crucial than power alone, do you understand?" "No." Twilight mumbled, slowly hauling herself back to her hooves with a grimace before she uncomfortably pushed herself into the air, wincing as her wings flapped and kept her hovering slowly several feet above the ground. "I really don't think I'm cut out for this…" "You get used to it. I mean, if I can learn to fly every now and then thanks to Luna's magic, you should be able to get the hang of it sooner or later yourself. Or maybe I just really enjoy watching you flailing around through the air." Scrivener said easily, half-encouraging and half-teasing as he grinned at her, which made Twilight glower in return as Luna continued to giggle childishly. "Anyway, we're enjoying it and you're the one who wanted to learn." Twilight glared at him… and then stared in surprise as Discombobulation popped into being behind Scrivener Blooms before slamming a firm kick of his paw into the earth pony's rump, making him flop forwards with a wince of surprise as his glasses flew off his muzzle and Luna's giggles cut short as she flinched and arched her back, then glared furiously over her shoulder at him. But as quickly as he'd appeared, Discombobulation snapped his fingers and vanished in another puff, his voice seeming to float past as he complained: "Don't look at me, Twilight Sparkle made me do it. I am as innocent as the morning dew, disregarding all the sexual connotations you can imply from that." "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to!" Twilight landed with a wince and quickly trotted forwards as Scrivy picked himself up, her horn glowing as she lifted Scrivener's glasses from the ground and slipped them onto his face with an embarrassed smile as Luna looked at her sulkily. "It's strange having this… I don't even know what he is. I don't want to say servant-" "Because I'm obviously not good enough to serve the mighty Twilight Sparkle, heir to Equestria… I suppose that makes you Princess Twilight, although I'm not sure if that makes you the Twilight Princess or not." Discombobulation's voice echoed, and Luna shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "Oh stop, Scrivener Blooms. You do worse to Luna on a regular basis. Still, looking at you two, it's nice to know that even if you go crazy he'll still call you supermare, and if you're alive and well then he'll be there, holding your hoof." "Either phase entirely into reality or go back to wherever you hide, Discombobulation, we've been over this." Twilight Sparkle grumbled, glancing embarrassedly up… and when silence greeted her, she nodded moodily after a moment and smiled awkwardly at Luna and Scrivy. "Sorry." "No, no problem at all. Besides, he's right, Luna does do worse to me constantly." Scrivener shrugged a bit, then looked at the dark sapphire pony when she began to raise a hoof with a huff. "See?" "I… was merely…" Luna glowered at him, then she reached forwards and slowly patted him on the head. "That is all. Thou art… all paranoid fools." "You're beginning to adjust anyway, Twilight, mastery of your new self will come with time." Celestia reassured quietly, and Twilight Sparkle looked awkwardly up at her, smiling after a moment before she glanced over her shoulder at the beautiful garden that surrounded them, filled with flowers, neatly-trimmed hedges and trees that looked as if they had been sculpted into perfection instead of simply grown… except for the scraped-off bark and missing branches here and there. There were other signs of Twilight's awkward learning session as well: short, dirty trenches through otherwise pristine grass, holes in bushes, glaring and disheveled animals. While she could fly short distances and hover with ease, Twilight Sparkle was showing a distinct issue with the 'braking' part of aerial movement. Not that anyone could blame her, considering the suddenness of the changes in her form: more than just wings, after all, her body had grown in ways both visible and subtle. Celestia smiled softly… and in a way, she too, had changed. Perhaps it was only from the exertion, but she seemed a little weaker, a little more gaunt than she had been, although the soft radiance of her mane and tail seemed the same as ever… and her amethyst eyes were soft and warm, as if she was content, as if she was honestly at lucid peace with herself and the world around her, as she said gently: "You're very talented to be doing so well already, Twilight Sparkle. I know it might seem strange to say… but this was your first flight, and you have lived all your life before now in a body that was smaller and constrained to the earth. There is much to be admired in you, Twilight, for learning to adapt and making these adjustments." She stopped, then glanced up towards the sky and nodded slowly before murmuring: "And now, I think that it is nearing time for you to raise the sun, Twilight Sparkle." "Wait, I… what? Celestia, I… I don't know how, I haven't studied that and… it's… it's the sun, I really…" Twilight babbled… and then she blushed a bit when Celestia rose her hoof and gently pressed it against her lips, silencing her with an affectionate look. "Small things must be studied, Twilight, small things have small details… but the largest things in life are things you simply do. You can move the sun… I know you can, and without difficulty." Celestia said softly, meeting her eyes. "Just like you could move the moon as Luna can, if the urge took you… just like you can use Luna's magic, and my magic, and learn spells of every nature with ease. Your name suits you wonderfully, Twilight… inside you exists true harmony, a balance of light and darkness, like that faint, rare moment when moon kiss the west and the east at the same time, and the stars all shine in the velvet ocean of the night." Twilight turned almost scarlet as she stepped backwards and nodded a little, glancing awkwardly down for a moment… then she looked towards Luna and Scrivy, asking hesitantly: "Can you two… or I mean…" "Scrivener Blooms, lower the moon… a small challenge will settle Twilight's nerves more effectively than reassurance at this point." Luna said with a slight smile, and Scrivy nodded without hesitating, smiling warmly in return to her as he felt tenderness tickle through his mind and body. "After all… the newly-reborn winged unicorn cannot have the cynical, obnoxious poet show her up, can she?" "I never said that!" Twilight reared back slightly, but Luna only laughed as Scrivy smiled and shook his head, then lowered his head and closed his eyes, blocking out everything else as he let his body relax, feeling strength and memories not his own whispering through his mind as he focused on his bond with Luna… and even as Luna teasingly chastised Twilight, her horn began to glow, a flickering blue aura humming over it as her starry locks swirled backwards and her features flushed slightly as if in excitement, as if in exhilaration. And then, as Scrivener let out a soft sigh, Luna's eyes fluttered as she mimicked his movements, even as her eyes remained open and soft… and, just visible through the canopy of the garden's trees, the moon slowly began to set, silently plunging towards the deep horizon and leaving them bathed only beneath the radiance of the stars as Scrivy rolled his shoulders and straightened slowly, breathing, heart beating, body moving in time with Luna's as they rose their heads and gazed towards one another softly. Twilight gazed from one to the other with a warm smile… and Celestia's eyes roved from her little sister to the earth pony with admiration that was close to jealousy, before she gazed towards the violet unicorn and prompted gently: "And now it's your turn. And while we do not share souls, or thoughts, or the same connection that Luna does… even if all I can give you is heartfelt support, Twilight, that is all you need. Don't think, only do: that is the key." "Alright… I'll try my best." Twilight said quietly, nodding hesitantly before she looked up at the starry sky above… and as the three gazed at her, she let her eyes slip closed, features tensing for a moment, almost wincing as she gritted her teeth, her horn sparking… but after a few moments, her face smoothed out, her breathing softened as she arched her back, and her horn took on a soft glow as a shiver passed through her body, raising herself up slightly as she let out a quiet whisper of wordless surprise… And then her eyes opened, her body flexing as she reared back, her wings spreading as the glow over her horn brightened as light gradually filled the sky and the mighty orb of the sun rose into the air, the stars vanishing behind the blue curtain of the sky before Twilight staggered backwards, her hooves almost slipping out from beneath her as the glow around her horn faded and she stared with amazement up into the heavens. Then she blushed as Scrivy and Luna both stomped their hooves against the ground, the winged unicorn nodding encouragingly as the earth pony laughed and looked across at her warmly. "Incredible, Twilight… incredible." "I knew that you could do it." Celestia gazed down at Twilight Sparkle affectionately, giving her a slow nod before she straightened and gazed up into the sky, adding softly: "And do not worry… by tonight I will have regained enough strength to lower the sun, by tomorrow I will be able to resume my role of raising it daily. I won't ask you to worry about that right now, not until after your investigation of North Neigh… and after you are ready to assume that duty. As it is, I have forced much upon your shoulders, Twilight Sparkle." The violet pony smiled awkwardly, flapping her black-edged wings once before they furled a bit at her sides, and then she bowed silently to Celestia… and Celestia bowed deeply back, closing her eyes and touching her horn to the ground as she said quietly: "If I may make one suggestion, though… visit your parents, Twilight. You won't be leaving until the afternoon, anyway, and Luna and Scrivener are more than capable of handling what few tasks must be seen to." They both rose, looking at one another as Twilight nodded hesitantly, then glanced anxiously towards Luna, asking finally: "If… you're okay with waiting, I know time is of the essence, and… I mean, I haven't actually visited my parents for a long time now. I… everything… so much has happened, and I don't even know what to say…" "Go ahead, cease thy worrying. Besides, I sense that Celestia has some tasks of her own for us, and I would prefer anyway to allow the Starlit Knights a chance to prepare for the much-longer road ahead than have them rushing out of Canterlot, likely-as-not with regrets." Luna paused, her starry locks flicking to the side before she frowned a bit as Twilight continued to look hesitantly from her to Scrivy, tilting her head curiously. "What, speak now, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot read thy addled mind, and understand not why thy face twists so horribly." "That's not nice, Luna, she was born that way." Scrivy remarked mildly, and Twilight shot him a moody look when Luna gave a snort of laughter. "Well, it's true. Besides, I can't be sitting here, cheering you on about everything, without getting one or two good barbs in. That would just throw off the whole balance of everything." Twilight only muttered under her breath, then Celestia leaned calmly forwards and asked quietly: "Would you like us to go with you to meet your parents, and help ease some of this unnecessary tension?" Immediately, both Luna and Scrivy spun around, shaking their heads wildly and likely not even meaning to mimic each other even as they moved in almost-synchronization, both rambling excuses as Celestia only looked down at them peacefully before Twilight said clearly: "I'd really, really like that. It would mean a lot to me, if you'd come and help… explain everything. I want to show them what I've done with my life… and I need someone to help explain why I'm… you know." "Wretched creatures." Luna muttered, and she sighed and dropped her head forwards even as Scrivy winced a little and began to open his mouth, then promptly shut it when the female glared at him. "Even for thinking that I should pummel thee. Leave me alone with Twilight Sparkle and Celestia? Worse, leave me with them and trying to make a good impression upon her family? I shall rend thee asunder." "We'll also have to explain to the others… at least a little of this. I can't just ask everyone to ignore the fact I'm… like you two, now." Twilight continued quietly, looking down thoughtfully for a moment… then she blushed when both sisters looked at her, Luna with a quirked eyebrow and Celestia with a tilt of her head. "Oh, I… sorry. I didn't stop to think how that sounded… it's not that I'm ungrateful, it's just… scary. And the way ponies look up to you two and… now I'm a winged unicorn and what Sol Seraph said and what ponies might think…" "Let them think whatever they please, 'tis well-within their freedoms to have their own opinions." Luna said calmly, leaning back slightly… and then she leaned forwards with a slight grin, her eyes glinting. "Should they be so bold to express their opinions in any unkind way, however, and I shall teach them that not all privileges should be readily abused." Twilight smiled a little at this, and then she glanced over the two and said quietly: "Then let's not waste any time and go and see if I remember the path back home." "You can't go home again." murmured a thoughtful voice, and the ponies glanced up with surprise to see Discombobulation standing on a treebranch… but he was upside down, in plain defiance of gravity, looking calmly at them as leaves quietly fell around him. "Oh, don't worry about me, I have no inclination to risk the wrath of any of you ponies, I'll just quietly spy on your strange social anachronisms. But I felt I should give a word of caution… people who react the worst are honest, people who react the best are liars, and people who are happy for you are the most selfish ones of all. Celestia knows that well… don't forget that whatever you are, you're only a gear or a cog or if you're very lucky, a metal screw in someone else's grand designs." Then, without another word, Discombobulation stepped backwards off the branch, floating in the air for a moment before he shot suddenly skywards, falling in reverse into the boughs of the tree above in a burst of leaves and vanishing completely, leaving Twilight frowning after the Draconequus and his strangely-foreboding words of warning. Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story